Key Takeaways
- This ranking spotlights the 10 best American male tennis players of the 21st century as Ben Shelton chases the country’s first men’s Grand Slam title since 2003.
- Andre Agassi takes the top spot ahead of Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick, while Shelton ranks fourth after reaching the 2026 US Open final.
- Taylor Fritz, John Isner, Frances Tiafoe, James Blake, Sam Querrey, and Mardy Fish round out a list spanning major champions, finalists, and signature upsets.
When Ben Shelton takes the court against Alexander Zverev in the finals of the 2026 US Open, he’ll have the opportunity to do something that no American male tennis player has accomplished in 23 years: win a Grand Slam tournament.
It’s one of the most oft-repeated stats in tennis: No American male has captured a major since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open. Conversely, six American women (Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin, and Madison Keys) have won a total of 24 majors, during that same time frame.
It wasn’t always this way. Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe were among the most dominant players of the 1970s and 1980s before giving way to Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang.
In the 21st century, American men have had the misfortune of running into the three greatest men’s players of all time: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. But the Big Three era is over and American men are on the ascent; there will be three American men in the top 10 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
With Shelton on the cusp of history, these are the 10 Best American Male Tennis Players of the 21st Century.
Mardy Fish
Highest Ranking: 7
Accomplishments: 6 ATP Titles, 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist
Signature Win: 2004 Olympics SF vs. Fernando Gonzalez 3-6 6-3 6-4
Fish was an all-court attacking player who shot up the rankings in the early 2010s after getting fit and losing 20-30 pounds. He made three major quarterfinals, the finals of four ATP Masters 1000 events, and qualified for the World Tour Finals in 2011. But his career took a turn at the 2012 US Open when he suddenly withdrew from his 4th round match against Roger Federer; he later revealed that he suffered from anxiety and depression. Fish played intermittently over the next few years before retiring at the 2015 US Open.
Sam Querrey
Highest Ranking: 11
Accomplishments: 2017 Wimbledon SF, 10 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2016 Wimbledon 3rd Round vs. Novak Djokovic 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 7-6(5)
Though he once hit ten consecutive aces in a match, Sam Querrey was no servebot. The six foot six inch Querrey also sported a powerful forehand and an underutilized net game that made him a dangerous opponent for anyone—even the Greatest of All Time at the peak of his powers. In the third round of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, Querrey played the match of his life, ending Novak Djokovic’s 30-match Grand Slam winning streak, and handing the Serb his first defeat in a major since the 2015 French Open final.
James Blake
Highest Ranking: 4
Accomplishments: 10 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2005 US Open 3rd Round vs. Rafael Nadal 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-1
Blake overcame tremendous adversity to reach the top of sport. As a teenager he was diagnosed with scoliosis and was forced to wear a back brace for nearly 18 hours a day. Then, after dropping out of Harvard to turn pro, the Yonkers native broke his neck in 2004 in a freak accident while practicing. He made a full recovery and became the breakout star of the 2005 US Open after defeating world no. 2 Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo before losing a five-set late night classic against Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals. Blake, a notoriously streaky shotmaker, brushed off the defeat and in 2006 made the finals of the year-end event before losing to Roger Federer.
Frances Tiafoe
Highest Ranking: 8
Accomplishments: US Open SF (2022, 2024, 2026), 4 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2022 US Open 4th Round vs. Rafael Nadal 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3
Big Foe is one of the most exciting players on the tour. A charismatic showman with a big serve, elite backhand, and soft hands, Tiafoe is at his best when he’s aggressive and moving forward. His game is best suited to hardcourts. Naturally, his best results have occurred during the North American summer hard court season as he’s a three-time US Open semifinalist and a two-time finalist at the Cincinnati Masters.
John Isner
Highest Ranking: 8
Accomplishments: 2018 Wimbledon SF, 16 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2010 Wimbledon 1st Round vs. Nicolas Mahut 6-4 3-6 6-7(7) 7-6(3) 70-68
One of the most consistent players on tour, Big John finished in the top 20 for ten consecutive seasons between 2010 and 2019. At 6-foot 10, the former Georgia Bulldog wielded perhaps the biggest serve in the history of men’s tennis. Isner holds the record for most career aces with 14,470 and most aces in a match with 113, set during his historic first rounder against Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. The match, which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes and played over three days, was later parodied in an HBO film (Andy Samberg’s 7 Days in Hell) and eventually led to rule changes regarding fifth set tiebreakers at Grand Slam events.
Taylor Fritz
Highest Ranking: 4
Accomplishments: 2024 US Open Finalist, 2025 Wimbledon SF, Masters 1000 Titles (Indian Wells - 2022), 11 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2024 US Open SF vs. Frances Tiafoe (4-6 7-5 4-6 6-4 6-1)
Fritz epitomizes the American male tennis player of the post-Agassi and Sampras era—that means big serve, huge forehand, and a decent backhand but he’s not an elite mover and lacks the creativity, panache, and net play needed to finish off big points against the best of the best (i.e. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz). Still, he is on pace for his fifth consecutive year-end top 10 finish.
Ben Shelton
Highest Ranking: 5
Accomplishments: 2026 US Open finalist, 2023 US Open SF, 2025 Australian Open SF, Masters 1000 Titles (Canadian Open - 2025, 2026) 7 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2026 US Open QF vs. Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7)
The southpaw with the 140+ MPH serve hopes to end the United States’ 23-year Grand Slam drought on the men’s side when he takes on Alexander Zverev in the 2026 US Open final. How did the Florida Gator get here? Shelton is more than his massive serve. He is disciplined, fit, and solid from the baseline, although his backhand still needs work. Best of all, Shelton is bold. He went toe-to-toe with Carlos Alcaraz and didn’t flinch when the seven-time major winner upped his game, resulting in the biggest win for an American man in decades.
Andy Roddick
Highest Ranking: 1
Accomplishments: 2003 US Open Champion, 2006 US Open Finalist, Wimbledon Finalist (2004, 2005, 2009), Masters 1000 Titles (Montreal - 2003; Cincinnati - 2003, 2006; Miami - 2004, 2010) 32 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2003 US Open SF vs. David Nalbandian 6-7(4) 3-6 7-6(7) 6-1 6-3
Andy Roddick had the misfortune of entering his prime just as Roger Federer was entering God Mode. Roddick lost 21 of 24 career matches against Fed and all eight played at majors, including four finals. The 2009 WImbledon final was the most stinging defeat of Roddick’s career, a four-hour thriller that ended at 16-14 in the fifth set when Federer broke Roddick’s serve for the first time all day. In any other era, Roddick would’ve been a multiple Slam winner. He had the biggest serve of his generation and was an aggressive power baseliner who could dictate points with his forehand. A former world no. 1. Roddick had nine consecutive top ten finishes (2002-2010), and was later enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Pete Sampras
Highest Ranking: 1
Accomplishments: 2000 Wimbledon Champion, 2002 US Open Champion, US Open Finalist (2000, 2001) Masters 1000 Titles (Miami - 2000) 3 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2001 US Open QF vs. Andre Agassi, 6-7(7) 7-6(2) 7-6(2) 7-6(5)
Pistol Pete won 14 majors and finished as the year-end world no. 1 for a record six consecutive years, yet he’s second on this list. What gives? Sampras’ year-end streak ran from 1993 to 1998 and he won 12 of his 14 majors in the 1990s. By the turn of his century, his dominance had faded yet was still a threat at every major outside the French Open. Sampras was the best clutch server of all time, and possessed a lethal running forehand, one-handed backhand, and a gorgeous serve-and-volley game. He also had the greatest exit from the sport, walking away after winning the 2002 US Open as a 17-seed against his greatest rival.
Andre Agassi
Highest Ranking: 1
Accomplishments: Australian Open Champion (2000, 2001, 2003), US Open Finalist (2002, 2005), Masters 1000 Titles (Indian Wells - 2001, Miami - 2001, 2002, 2003, Rome - 2002, Madrid - 2002 Cincinnati - 2004) 16 ATP Titles
Signature Win: 2000 Australian Open SF vs. Pete Sampras, 6-4 3-6 6-7(0) 7-6(5) 6-1
Andre Agassi is the greatest American male tennis player of the 21st century, having won three majors and playing top-tier tennis into his mid-30s until back injuries forced him into retirement following the 2006 US Open. One of the greatest ballstrikers in history, Agassi was known to dictate play from the baseline using either wing. Perhaps his greatest gift was his threshold for pain. Agassi, the fittest player on tour in the late 90s and early 2000s, relished taking his opponents into deep waters—he extended rallies and turned each point—and each match—into a war of attrition.
